Type-writer



H. H. RIGGS.

TYPE WRITER.

Arrucmow EILED Dec-4.10m.

1 ,3 1 5, 157. Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET INvENruY: 1 W

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H. H. mcss.

TYPE WRITER.

APPLICATION FILiD DEC- 4. 1M8.

1,315,157. Patentedsept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

KO INvENrUV:

HENRY H. RIGGS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE-WRITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 265,304.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY H. RIGGS, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusctts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in T ype-Writers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlu s.

lVly present invention is an improvement upon the machine shown and described in an application filed by me November 23, 19 l7, Serial No. 203,540. One feature of the m vcntion relates to the frame or body of the machine, and consists in making the frame of a single sheet of metal so shaped that it supports all parts of the machine. Another feature of the invention relates to the mechanism for transmitting the motion from the keys to the type wheels. Special features of the invention will be particularly set forth hereinafter.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention, some of the parts which are not necessary to show the present invention being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation viewed from the left hand end of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame or body of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the frame or body A of the machine is made of a single sheet of metal, which is bent or folded into such shape that it supports all parts of the machine, and is formed with apertures of various forms and so disposed as to permit passage of the several operating parts of the machine.

The sheet of metal of which the body is formed is bent in such a manner that there is formed a flat floor portion 1 having end flanges which are bent downward to form legs 2 which are to rest on the table on which the machine is mounted.

The plate has a rear flange portion which is bent down and slotted to form a guide plate 3 for the rear ends of the transverse levers 18 to he described hereinafter.

At the front edge of the floor portion 1 the sheet is bent upward for some distance forming a vertical front portion, then is i11- clined at an angle backward forming a sloping portion 4, which serves as a support for the key rods K, thence it is bent horizontally backward forming a flat roof portion 5 which supports the upper parts of the mechanism, then is bent vertically downward forming a rear wall (3 whose lower edge is bent at right angles to form a flange foot which rests on the top of the floor por tion 1 of the frame.

The paper carriage, ribbon feed, and other accessories may be of any convenient design and for the sake of clcarness in showing the other parts are not shown in the drawings.

There are six type arms T which carry the type, each type arm carrying a type wheel W which has five faces, and each face hearing the upper case, lower case and figure characters corresponding to one key in the key board. The three characters on any one face are brought into printing position by shifting the paper roll according to well known practice. The mechanism for doing this is not shown in the drawings because it forms no part of the present invention.

The type arms T are shaped somewhat like an inverted U of irregular shape, one leg being straight and one bent for convenience of arrangement of the parts, and the cross part of the arm is straight to serve as a shaft for the type wheel, so that although the type arms may not be strictly U-shaped. they are referred to as such for convenience of description.

The type arms T are mounted in an approximately vertical position, the U being inverted so that the ends extend downwardly, the lower ends of the U being attached to a shaft 24 journaled in a bed plate 7. The type arms are arranged in two sets of three each, three type arms being mounted on each bed plate. The type arms in any one set are of unequal sizes so as not to interfere with each other, but they are all of the same general shape.

The bed plates 7 are supported on the roof 5 of the frame in such manner as to project over the paper carriage, the spread of the legs of the type arms being sufficient so that the two legs of each will be on opposite sides of the middle line lengthwise of the paper carriage so that when any one of the type arms is brought down to a horizontal. position the type wheel will strike the paper roll. The three type arms of each set are all so proportioned with reference to the distance apart of their bearings that whichever one is depressed the type wheel car' ried thereby will strike the paper roll at the same point as the others, at the middle of the roll. The type arms of one set are duplicates of the type arms of the other set.

The end of one leg of each U-shaped type arm T is provided with a lug 8 having a hole in which is hooked the end of a link 9. This link passes through apertures 30 respectively in the roof 5 and the floor 1 of the frame and has its lower end hooked into the middle arm 10 of a lever shaped somewhat like the letter E. There are three of these E-shaped levers, one for each type arm, but for clearness, only one of these is shown in the drawings. The two long end arms 1], 11 and the. middle arm 10 of each E-shaped lever are tied together by the bark portion 25. The long arms 11, ll project rearwardly and the lever is fulrrumed on the rod R which extends through the machine longitudinally passing through holes in the rear ends of the arms 11, 11 and through the legs 2 of the frame. The middle or short arm 10 of the E-shaped lever being linked with the lug 8 on one of the type arms T, if either of the long arms 11, 1] of the lever is depressed the corresponding type arm will be drawn down into the printing position.

There are three banks or rows of five keys each on the left hand side and three banks or rows of five keys each on the right hand side, the left hand set having its various mechanisms independent of those on the right hand side and therefore for convenience of description we shall sometimes have particular reference to one general group of fifteen keys. Each grou of fifteen keys is further sub-divided into t ree groups or parallel rows of five keys in each row, each group or row of five keys having certain operating elements in common and sometimes in the description and in the claimseach row of five keys will be referred to as a lgroup. Also the neral group of fifteen eys may be divi ed in another way into five groups, each of which groups comprises three keys, one in each longitudinal row and three keys of each of the five ou s being in staggered relation to each ot er cm the front to the back. At certain parts of the specification and claims each stag ered row of three keys from front to bac will be referred to as a group.

Each longitudinal row or group and each transverse row or group have one key in common.

A bar 13 lies underneath the heads of each group of five keys, and this bar has at or near each end an arm 12 which extends downwardly through apertures 26 in the roof and floor of the frame, the lower ends of said arms being respectively hooked into the forward ends of the long-arms 11, ll of one of the E-sl'iaped levers. Thus when any one of the live keys in that group or set is depressed, it presses down the longitudinal bar, and through the downwardly proecting arms 12 it dcl'n'csse the E-shaped lever, which in turn draws down the type arm to slrike on the paper roll 27. A smtable spring 2% connected with the E-shaped level returns the lever and type arm to their normal position when the downward pressure on the key is released.

Each type arm T is actuated by depressing any one of the five keys of the set to which it belongs. There are six longitudinal bars 13, each lying under the heads of a bank or set of five keys. Each longitudin. :l bar is connected by its downwardly proicctliiq' arms with both of the long arms of our olhhc E-shaped levers beneath the floor 1. and each E-shaped lever is connected by n link 1) with one of the six type arms T.

Each type wheel is journaled on a shaft which forms the cross tie or base of the inerted U-shaped type arm T. Each type wheel provided with a gear wheel 14 which rotates with it. This gear wheel meshes with a gear segment 15 which is mounted on the side of the type arm. The position of this gear segment is determined by a link 16, which connects the ear segment with a fork shaped member 1 Each fork shaped member 17 has three branches connected by the links 16 with the three gear segments 15 on the type arms mounted on one bed plate. lVhen the type arms are drawn down into the horizontal position, any longitudinal motion of the fork shaped member moves the gear segment about its axis. and this in turn rotates the type wheel.

The key heads are mounted on vertical rods K preferably of square cross section which slide in apertures 29 in the floor 1 and the sloping front 4 of the frame. The lower end of each key rod K is bent like the letter L. The foot of the L rests on a transverse lever 18, the feet of three key rods, one in each bank, resting on each transverse lever. As the three keys are in a staggered row from front to back the foot of the middle one is bent over in a direction opposite to that of the upper and lower key. All the keys in the middle bank or longitudinal row have the foot of the key rod bent to the right, those in the upper and lower rows to the left. There are ten transverse levers 18 for the entire machine, five for each group of fifteen keys, and on each transverse lever rest the feet of the three keys in one of the ten transverse groups or staggered rows of keys.

The transverse levers 18 are pivoted on the same rod R in which the six E-shaped levers are fulcrumed. The transverse levers 18 are held in position by slotted guide plates 3 and 19, said guide plate 3 being formed by the rear edge of the frame, as already described, the other guide plate 19, being fixed at the front of the same frame. An end of each transverse lever projects through a slot in each of these two guide plates. Immediately in front of the front guide plate 19 are two slotted plates 20, one in front of the left hand part and the other in front of the right hand part of the guide plate. Each slotted plate 20 has cut in it five cam slots 31, somewhat Y-shaped, each of which has a portion which is approximately opposite to a narrow slot 32 in the front guide plate. The forward ends of the transverse levers which project through the guide plate project through the slotted plate also. So long as the transverse levers are in their normal upper positions, their ends project through the broad part of the Y-shaped slots 31. But when a transverse lever is depressed, it impinges on the sloping side of the slot 31, pressing the slotted plate to one side till the end of the lever 18 enters the vertical narrow part of the slot, when the slotted plate becomes immovable, with that portion of the slot exactly opposite to the corresponding slot 32 in the guide plate. The lower, vertical portions, of the slots in the slotted plate are not spaced at exactly the same distance apart as the slots in the guide plate, but are so disposed that the depression of any one of the five transverse levers which engage the slotted plate determines a slightly difierent longitudinal position for the slotted late. p The slotted plate 20 is free to move longi tudinally being pivotally hung by two hangers, one of which is merely an idler 21 pivoted to the guide plate 19 at its upper end. The other hanger forms a downwardly proj ectin g crank arm 22 at the forward end of the crank shaft 23 said shaft 23 being journaled in the guide plate 19 and in the rear wall (3 of the frame. The rear end of this crank shaft 23 bears an upwardly projecting crank arm 241 whose upper end is bent backward over the top of the paper roll. The fork shaped member 17 is pivoted, at one end, to the rearward extremity of the crank arm at B. Thus the fork shaped member 17 is connected by means of the crank shaft 23 and its arms 22 and 241 with the slotted plate 20. Every motion of the slotted plate 20 is communicated to the fork shaped member 17 and from that memher through the links 16 to the gear segments 15 and the type wheels W. When the slotted plate is immobilized in any one of the five possible positions by the depression of one of the five transverse levers, the fork shaped member is similarly immobilized. It follows that, under these circumstances, the type wheel when brought down to its printing position, will assume a predetermined position controlled by the position fixed for the slotted plate. The relative positions of the slots in the slotted plates are so related to the length of the two crank arms that each of the five immobilized positions which can be taken by the slotted plate brings the type wheel into such a position that one of its printing faces is presented to the paper roll.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When any key is depressed, the head of the key presses down the longitudi nal bar 13 that lies under it. This, as described above, causes the corresponding type-arm T to swing downward till type wheel W strikes the paper roll.

At the same time the foot of the key rod K presses down on the transverse lever under it. The end of this transverse lever, in descending, impinges on the sloping side of the slot in the slotted plate 20, thrusting that plate slightlv to one side till the end of the lever enters the narrow portion of the slot when the plate becomes immobilized in one of its five predetermined positions. Through the crank shaft and its two crank arms the motion of the plate is communicated to the fork shaped member 17 whose position determines the rotation of the gear segments. As the type arm descends, the moving fork shaped member 17, through the link 9, turns the gear segment until, sometime before the end of the stroke, the fork like member becomes immobilized as described above, and the type wheel. as the type arm reaches the horizontal position, assumes the position determined by the position of the forked member, and thus strikes the paper with the corresponding type face.

What I claim is:

1. A typewriting machine having rotary type wheels, a group of keys, a movable slotted plate having a plurality of cam slots, one for each of a group of keys. mechanism engaging with said slots and actuated by the keys to move the plate whereby the position of the plate is determined by the respective key which is operated, and mechanism connecting the slotted plate with the type wheel whereby the operation of one of the keys rotates the type wheel through an are which varies with the movement of the slotted plate and is determined by the key which is depressed, the said connecting mechanism between the slotted plate and the type wheel comprising a crank shaft, a crank arm connecting the shaft with the slotted plate, a second crank arm on said shaft, and intermediate mechanism connecting said second crank arm with the type wheel.

2. A typewriting machine having type wheels, a crank shaft and crank and intermediate mechanism to rotate the type wheels, a group of keys and key rods, a movable plate pivotally count-acted with the crank and having a plurality of cam slots correspondingwith the number of keys in the group, a plurality of levers, one engaging with each slot, each key rod engaging with one of said levers whereby the operation of any one of the keys actuates one of the levers to more the slotted plate and thereby actuate the type wheel, the cam slots varying from each other in such manner that the keys give different distances of movement to the slotted plate and thereby different degrees of rotation to the type wheel.

3. A typewriting machine l'iaving in con;- bination, a type arm, a group of keys, a bar located in position to be engaged by any one of the keys of the nirticular group and to be depressed by the depression of the key, an E-shapcd lever, said bar having arms depending from each end thereof which are respcrtively connected with the ends of the long arms of said E-shaped levcr, said type arm being formed with a lug, and a link connection between said lug and the short middle arm of the E-shaped lever whereby the depression of any one of the keys in the group will actuate the type arm.

4. A typewriting machine having keys arranged in parallel longitudinal rows, and in transverse rows, 11 bar extending longitudinally under all of the key heads in each longitudinal row whereby the depression of any one key in the row depresses the said bar, a plurality of transverse levers equal in number to the number of keys in the longitudinal row which engage a single bar, each key being mounted on a rod which engages one of the transverse bars, and all of the key rods in any one transverse row engaging the same transverse lever.

5. A typewriting machine havingtype arms provided with type Wheels, keys arranged in parallel longitudinal rows, and in transverse rows, a bar extending longitudinally under all of the key heads in each longitudinal row whereby the depression of any one key in the row depresses the said bar, mechanism connectin each type arm with one of the said bars, w ereby the depression of the bar actuate's the type arm, means for rotating the type wheels, the actuating mechanism for rotating said wheels including a plurality of transverse levers equal in number to the number of keys in the longitudinal row which engage a single bar, each key being mounted on arod which engages one of the transverse bars, and all of the key rods in any one transverse row engaging the same transverse lever.

6. A typewriting machine having type arms carrying type wheels rotatable thereon, a group of keys and intermediate mecha nism whereby depression o'l any one of the keys of the group aetuates one of the type arms, a movable plate having a plurality of can: slots, levers engaging said slots, means whereby the depression of any one of said keys actuates one of said levers and thereby moves the slotted plate, and means whereby the movement of the slotted plate partially rotates the type wheels, the cam slots being so formed and located with relation to each other that the slotted plate has a different range of movement for each kov ol' the group, thereby causing the type wheel to rotate through an arc varying according to the key which depressed.

I, A typewriting machine having three type arms each carrying a type wheel rotatable thereon, three banks of keys one for each type arm and intermediate mechanism whereby depression of any one of the keys in any ban k actuates the type arm for that bank. a longitudinally slidable plate having a plurality of "am slots equal in number to the keys in one bank, transverse levers engaging said slots, means whereby the depression of any one of said keys actuate-s one of said levers, and thereby moves the slotted plate, each key of corresponding number from one end in the three banks actuating the same lever, and each key of dif tercnt number from the end actuating a different lever, and means whereby the moven'ient of the slotted plate rotates one of the type wheels, the cam slots being so formed and located. with relation to each other that the slotted plate has a different range of movement for each key in the bank, thereby causing the type wheel to rotate through an arc of varying degree according to which key in the bank is depressed.

8. A typewriting machine having three type arms each carrying a type wheel rotatable thereon, three banks of keys one for each type arm, a movable slotted plate having a plurality of slots of varying shape and lo cation corresponding in number with the number of keys in one of the banks, mechanism engaging with said slots and actuated by the keys to move the plate whereby the. position of the plate is determined by the respective key which is operated the correspondingly numbered key in each bank giving the same position to the plate, and mechamsm connecting the slotted plate with the type wheels whereby the operation of any one of the keys rotates one of the type Wheels through an are which varies according to the movement of the slotted plate and is determined by the key which is depressed, the said connecting mechanism between the slotted plate and the type wheels comprising a crank shaft, a crank arm pivotally connecting one end of the shaft with the slotted plate, an arm on the other end of the shaft, a fork connected with said arm having three branches, a link connected with each branch, each link carrying a segment gear, and a gear on each type wheel with which said segment gears ii-es 'icctively engage.

9. A typewriting machine having keys dispmell in longitudinal rows and in staggered transverse rows, each key having a downwardly extending rod with its lower end. bent L-shaped to form a foot, type arms having rotatable type wheels one for each longitudinal row of keys, means for rotating the type wheels, transverse levers beneath the key rods, all of the key rods in any one of the transverse rows engaging the same transverse lever, whereby the depression of any one of the keys in one of the transverse rows will actuate the same transverse lever, and means whereby each transverse lever will actuate the rotation of one of the type Wheels according to whichever one of the keys in the corresponding transverse row of keys shall be operated.

10. A typewriting machine having a frame to support the working parts of the machine, said frame being formed of a single sheet of metal in such manner as to form a base portion and a portion integral therewith folded up from the base portion to form a chamber with a front and a rear wall and a connecting roof.

11. A typewriting machine having a frame formed of a single sheet of metal having a floor portion, end flanges projecting downwardly from the floor to serve as supporting legs, a flange projecting down from the rear, and a portion folded up from the front over the said floor portion forming a chamber with a front and rear wall and a roof.

12. A typewriting machine having a frame formed of a single sheet of metal having a floor portion and flanges projecting downwardly from the floor portion to serve as supporting le a flange projecting down from the rear aving slots to serve as guides for the rear ends of levers, and a portion folded up from the front over the said floor portion forming a chamber with a front and rear wall and a roof, the floor and roof being formed with apertures for the key rods and type arms.

13. A typewriting machine having type arms carrying type wheels, a row of keys and intermediate mechanism whereby a depression of any one of the keys in the row actuates one of the type arms, a plurality of levers, a fixed guide plate having a plurality of narrow guide slots, a longitudinally movable plate parallel with said fixed guide plate having a plurality of cam slots, each of said levers engaging with one of said guide slots and with one of said cam slots, means whereby the depression of any one of the said keys actuates one of said levers and thereby moves the slotted plate, and means whereby the movement of the slotted plate rotates one of the type wheels.

14. A typewriting machine having type arms carrying type wheels, rotatable thereon, a longitudinal row of keys and interme diate mechanism whereby a depression of any one of the keys in the row urinates one of the type arms, a plurality of levers, a fixed guide plate having a plurality of narrow ertical guide slots corresponding in number with the number of keys in the row, a longitudinally movable plate parallel with said fixed guide plate having a plurality of cam slots corresponding in number'with said levers with broad upper portions and narrow lower portions, each of said levers en gaging with one of said guide slots and with one of said cam slots, means whereby the de pression of any one of the said keys actuates one of said levers and thereby moves the slotted late, and means whereby the movw ment 0 the slotted plate rotates one of the type wheels, the cam slots being so formed and located with relation to each other and to the guide slots that the slotted plate has a different range of movement for each key in the row thereby causing the type wheel to rotate through an arc varying according to the key which is depressed.

15. A typewriting machine having in combination a paper roll, a rocking type arm, a type wheel rotatably mounted thereon, said type wheel being formed with a plurality of faces each bearing a printing character, a group of keys corresponding in numher and in characters marked thereon with the faces on the type wheel, mechanism whereby the depression of any one of said keys will actuate the type arm to bring the type wheel down to engagement with the paper on the paper roll, a movable plate having as many cam slots as there are keys in one of the sets, a series of transverse levers engaging respectively with said cam slots, each key having connected therewith a rod which engages with ono of said levers whereby the depression of any one of the keys w1ll actuate one of the said slot engaging levers and cause the slotted late to move to a predetermined position w ich varies according to the key which is depressed, and mechanism connecting the slotted plate with the type Wheel whereby the movement of the slotted plate causes the type wheel to rotate through an arc of varying degree according to the key which is depressed, thereby bringing the type wheel into predetermined position on its axis to cause the character thereon which corresponds with the character of the depressed key to engage the paper roll.

16. A typewriting machine having in combination a paper roll, a plurality of rocking type arms, a type wheel rotatably mounted on each type arm, said type wheel being formed with a plurality of faces each bearinga printing character, agroup of keys corresponding in number and in characters marked thereon With the faces on the type wheel, mechanism whereby the depression of any one of said keys will actuate one of the type arms to bring the type wheel down to engagement with the paper on the paper roll, said keys being arranged in parallel rows longitudinally and in staggered rows transversely, a movable plate extending longitudinally parallel with the longitudinal rows of keys and in front thereof having many cam slots as there are keys in one of the longitudinal rows, a series of transverse levers engagin respectively with said cam slots, each key having connected therewith a rod which engages with one of said levers whereby the depression of any one of the keys will actuate one of the said slot engaging levers and cause the slotted plate to move a predetermined distance which varies according to the key which is depressed, each transverse lever being engaged by each one of the key rods in one of the staggered transverse rows whereby the said slotted plate will be moved an equal distance by the depression of any one of the keys in the transverse row, and mechanism connecting the slotted plate with the type wheel Where-- by the movement of the slotted plate causes the ty e wheel to partially rotate throu h an are of varying degree according to w iehever key in the longitudinal row 1s depressed thereby bringing the type wheel into predetermined position on its axis to cause the character thereon which corresponds with the character of the depressed key to engage the paper roll.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY H. RIGGS.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

